History

Fish chowder predates Maine by centuries; French and English fishermen on the Grand Banks made shipboard chowders from the 1500s. The Maine version, refined through the 1700s and 1800s, leans on cod and haddock rather than clams and uses salt pork for fat and milk for body. The 1896 Boston Cooking School Cook Book codified the canonical Maine fish chowder ratio: salt pork, onion, potato, fish and milk in that order. Becky's Diner on Commercial Street and Scales on Maine Wharf both run a year-round chowder; in winter, the Old Port seafood rooms switch to chowder-first menus.

Common allergens: Fish, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 6Hands-on 30 minTotal 1 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 100g salt pork, fine dice (or thick bacon)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, fine dice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 medium Maine potatoes, peeled, 2 cm dice
  • 600ml fish stock or water
  • 700g fresh cod or haddock, skinned, 5 cm pieces
  • 600ml whole milk
  • 200ml heavy cream
  • 60g unsalted butter
  • Kosher salt, white pepper
  • Chopped parsley and oyster crackers to finish

Method

  1. Render the salt pork in a heavy pot over medium heat until crisp, 5 minutes. Lift the crisp bits out; reserve.
  2. Add the onion and bay leaf to the rendered fat; cook 5 minutes until soft.
  3. Add the potatoes and fish stock. Bring to a simmer; cook 12 to 15 minutes until potatoes are tender but not falling apart.
  4. Lay the fish pieces on top. Cover; simmer 6 to 8 minutes until the fish flakes.
  5. Add milk and cream gently. Heat through but do not boil (milk curdles).
  6. Drop in the butter; swirl until melted. Season with salt and white pepper.
  7. Ladle into bowls. Scatter reserved pork bits, parsley and oyster crackers.

Tip from the editors. Rest the chowder off heat for 10 minutes before serving; the flavours deepen. Never let the milk boil.

Where to eat maine fish chowder

Maine fish chowder in Portland

Becky's Diner ★ 4.3

BrunchAll-day breakfast, working waterfront$$$10-22old-portDaily 05:00-21:00Walk-in only

Becky's Diner on Commercial Street has run on the working waterfront since 1991, opening at 05:00 for the fishing crews and the breakfast queue behind them.

Order: Short stack with bacon and a cup of clam chowder.

Tip: Cash and card both fine. Queues longest 09:00-11:00 weekends; early arrivals get the counter seats.

390 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101

Scales ★ 4.5

New England Seafood$$$old-portDaily 16:00-22:00

Scales on Maine Wharf, since March 2016 from Sam Hayward, Dana Street and Victor Leon (the Fore Street team), with whole local fish and a raw bar.

Signature: Maine lobster roll, Whole local fish, Raw bar oysters

Order: The Maine lobster roll, then a half dozen Glidden Point oysters.

Tip: Lunch from 11:30, dinner from 17:00. Resy reservations recommended; the bar takes walk-ins.

68 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101 Book →

Boone's Fish House + Oyster Room ★ 4.0

New England Seafood$$$old-portMon-Thu 11:30-21:00, Fri-Sat 11:30-21:30, Sun 11:30-20:30

Boone's Fish House on Custom House Wharf reopened 2014 on the 1898 Boone's site from the Harding Lee Smith group, with lobster rolls, halibut and chowder.

Signature: Lobster roll, Pan-roasted halibut, Fish chowder

Order: The Maine lobster roll on a New England top-split bun, plus fish chowder.

Tip: Daily lunch and dinner; the deck fills early summer evenings.

6 Custom House Wharf, Portland, ME 04101 Book →

Fore Street ★ 4.8

New AmericanChef Frederic Eliot$$$$$80 to $130 plated, no fixed tastingDaily 16:30-22:00Book Up to 2 months online; same-day walk-ins fill the bar ahead

Fore Street has been Portland's flagship wood-fired dining room since 1996, with a wood-burning oven, open hearth and turning spit at the kitchen's heart.

288 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101 Book →

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